So this is it the last chapter. Please read and review, but most of all, I hope you like it.
Confessions of a Potter Princess XXI
I ring the doorbell of the West End townhouse again where Rainier is currently living. I'm shaking in anticipation and I resist the urge to ring more than twice.
"Come on answer." I mumble looking up at the window of the third story, where I see the shadow of a person moving.
I run a hand through my long red hair nervously. If he doesn't answer in the next two minutes I'm leaving.
The door opens as I turn around to walk away. And there Rainier stands looking at me incredulously.
"Hi" I said. He steps back silently so that I can walk in.
"Cal told me where you lived." I said as we sit down in the living room. He stares at me blankly.
" So you're leaving tonight for Saudi Arabia. Good luck, my dad and Cal said they have a really good team this year."
Still, nothing but silence.
"I-" I start to speak again then stop and reach into the pocket of my blue skirt and feel the little heart charm. I take a deep breath and look at him. And it's fine because as we make eye contact I feel a wave of recognition wash over me. It wasn't what I expected to feel. Yet, it makes sense because I know what I'm doing is right and that confidence is what pushed me to speak again without any uneasiness.
"I need to show you something" I said pulling the heart charm out of my pocket and handing it to Rainier
"Colton" he said after reading the charm
"He gave it to me when I was fifteen right before he left for Paris. I never realized it then, but now as I look back on that moment, I see how close he was to telling me that he loved me"
He shrugged noncommittally "What is this about Charlotte?"
I turned to face him before I spoke again, knowing that I could look at him and say these things without any qualms whatsoever.
"Please just let me talk. Just let me explain. When I met you, you turned my life upside down. I had never felt that way about anyone before. I loved you so much, but it was always just a bit off. I always felt so guilty. I could never love you enough, or not the way you wanted. I was so happy with you, but my career started taking off and for once it was the chance for to me to prove that I was more than Harry Potter's trust fund daughter. So I took it and left you. I didn't, I still don't regret it, but I regret the way it happened. I always wanted to love you the way you loved me and I look back on everything and I see all the times you told me how much you loved me forever and I laughed it off and that hurt you and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was so selfish and I couldn't figure out why you would be upset with me. What you have to know is I loved you and I need you to always remember that because what we had was real. For the past year and a half I always thought I was still half in love with you, but you deserve so much more than that."
He looked away from me and stared at his hands, his fingers rubbing over the charm.
"I'm surprised you came by at all. To tell you the truth, I knew that you loved me, but if I was going to lose you to anybody than it would be him. In fact, if you asked me back when we were together what would be the one thing that could break us up, I never would have said your career. No, I would have said Colton"
He placed the heart charm back in my hand. "I knew the minute you ran out the door in Paris that this would be how it all ended", he said rubbing his hands over his face
"What do you mean?" I whispered
"You going after Colton; Me letting you go"
I leaned forward tentatively and placed a soft kiss on his lips. It didn't make my heartbeat faster or my palms sweat or breathing shallow the way it used to. It felt different now, like saying goodbye to an old dear friend you wouldn't see again for a long time.
There was no music swelling. No slow motion hugs or run and leaps into each other's arms. I didn't even go back to Paris. Dee asked me to stay with her, but instead I got a room at the Crown Royal hotel and spent the next week alone. I needed to make sure that if I was going to do this I was going to be ready. Colton deserved only the best of me.
Tomorrow I would see him again for the first time since he said I love you. And the knowledge that he loved me, the feeling that it gave me, made me want tomorrow to happen now. And that is what love is.
Jemina Lupin, Colton's younger sister, Theodora Marriott, Shelly Hankinson, a friend of Dee's from Bewitched magazine where Dee had been working for the past year, Carolina Gaitan Longbottom, Dee's sister-in-law and I all looked gorgeous in the light orchid purple gowns. As Matron of Honor my dress had an elegant design of carefully sewn amethysts right below the chest.
But it was Delilah who looked more radiant than ever. The white strapless floor length gown had taken a total of 264 hours. But seeing Dee smile when she looked at herself in the mirror made it so completely worth it. The bodice had strands of small freshwater pearls criss-crossed diagonally creating a subtle shine to the delicate white silk. The full skirt had handmade lace appliqués sewn randomly about and flowed out from just below the natural waist. Her décolletage was illuminated by a large but simple marquis diamond pendant. Her long bright blonde hair flowed in subtle romantic waves over her narrow shoulder and down her back. She was crowned with a wreath of orchids and violets from which the wispy sheer veil was attached.
The wedding was absolutely beautiful. The St. Albus Cathedral in Godric's Hollow was filled to bursting with hundreds of guests. Tierney, the rambunctious flower girl, twirled down the aisle showering not only the nave with shimmering petals, but also most of the guests. Dane, the ring bearer, carried up the little silk pillow laden with gold rings and just as he reached the altar sneezed allover them. Soon Jemina, Theodora, Shelly, Carolina and I walked down the aisle accompanied by Wynter, Dee's younger brother, Caliber, Jude, Sebastian and Colton respectively.
The entire time Colton and I walked down the aisle I was barely aware of where of what was happening around me. My arm was tingling from where we were touching and I was so nervous to be near him for the first time since he told me he loved me I thought I was going to faint. But in a good way, of course. I couldn't help it he looked so handsome in his tuxedo. I smiled at Maxim excitedly before taking my place at the altar.
The ceremony was beautiful. I think. I know the only person crying harder than Mum was Grandmum Weasley. I tried to focus on the vows and everything, but Colton was standing right there and now that I knew I loved him my heart was bursting with the need to tell him. How could he have possibly kept it a secret for so long?
"You may kiss the bride" said the priest finally
Maxim leaned forward and kissed Delilah and the church absolutely exploded into cheers.
The reception was being held at Potter Manor only five minutes away and it was a mad rush to my childhood home and into the gardens where our house elves had prepared a feast. The garden looked magical alight with candles and purple and white flowers.
Finally I was able to offer my personal congratulations to Dee and Max.
I grabbed them both and hugged them tightly "I'm just so happy for you!" I exclaimed
"Ow! Thanks Charlotte. Need air now" breathed out Max
I laughed as I let them go.
"Can you believe it we're really sisters now!" Dee said this time pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.
"Only legally, you've always been my sister" I said sincerely
Max slipped a hand around Dee's waist and pulled her close, kissing her on the cheek, before whispering something in her ear.
"Do you know one thing that could make the best day of my life even better?" Dee said smiling.
She didn't wait for a response but just kept going, "You finding your true love too. Come on, Charlotte, do it, tell Colton how you feel."
"I want to, I do. I looked earlier, but I couldn't find him anywhere there are so many people here."
"Really because I seemed to have found him right over there" said Maxim pointing a little ways behind and to the left of me. Sure enough there was Colton staring right at me.
"Come on Charlotte, do it ", Dee urged poking me in the back. I smiled once more at them both and walked straight towards Colton.
"Colton I-", I began to say
"Shh, Come with me, I need to talk to you" said Colton grabbing my hand and we went inside to the west atrium of Potter Manor.
"Sit down" he said letting my hand go and gesturing to the marble bench with the ivory seat cushions. He made to sit down too, before changing his mind and pacing the stone floor quickly running his hands over his golden brown hair.
"I know that Rainier loves you. I mean how he could not when you're you! You're gorgeous and funny, and smart and crazy and fun and everything you could ever want. And I've never said this to anyone in the romantic sense in the twenty-one years I've been alive. And I've been meaning to tell you this since we were just little kids playing dress-up in your parents' room. But, I always found an excuse not to tell you. Ugh I've just been so stupid. But the truth is I love you. I've never told anybody about this other than Dee. Charlotte I am in love with you and I've wanted to tell you for ages and ages but if you rejected me I couldn't stand the thought of having to be away from you. And with Rainier here again I have to tell you, because this may be my only chance if you go away with him and-"
I cut off his rapid ramblings "You're right. You have been stupid"
Colton stopped in his tracks and just looked at me blankly.
I looked up at him and smiled bashfully "You're it Colton. I love you. I may have always loved you, but I was just too stupid to see it. But Colton you're the one and I love you"
I stood up and walked towards him. He had a surprised look on his face like he couldn't believe what I had just said.
"I love you" I whispered again, because it just felt so good to say it
He caressed my left cheek with his left hand and stepped even closer. I laughed softly to myself as I noticed that I could count all his eyelashes.
"Oh Charlotte" he whispered his amber eyes locked on mine "I've always loved you"
He leaned down and kissed me slowly and that was it, his perfect lips on mine and my whole body just melted in his strong arms. It didn't get any better than this.
Well that's it. It's over. It's taken seven months but I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with this story since the beginning it means so much to me. I really wanted to finish this before I leave for Brazil and then I'll be gone for seven straight weeks to various parts of the globe. I've got another story in the works about Caliber. Thank you to everyone who's read this story I had a lot of fun writing it and I hoped you enjoyed it. -prinadean